


El's First Days of School

by Junigatsu84



Series: Stranger Things: Normal High School Life, Right? [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Concern, Cute, Dem father daughter feels, El and Hop, Father-Daughter Relationship, Growing Up, Hawkins - Freeform, High School, Jopper, Learning curve, Moving Out, Multi, New School, Working it Out, Worry, new home, normal high school stuff, will and el siblings forever, with some minor telekinesis, working together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-02-12 21:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12969282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Junigatsu84/pseuds/Junigatsu84
Summary: It's the summer of 1985, and Jim is enrolling Eleven/ Jane into school.  The start of a (finally) normal life for her.  But she's going to need a lot of help to adjust to high school life (without killing jerks like Troy that is).  This fic is centered around the relationships that El has built.  There are minor shipping moments of Mike/ Eleven, with lots of fluffy adorable friendship moments in between.





	1. Chapter One: Moving Out

Hopper hung the phone up on the receiver and sighed. It was official. There was still paperwork to file but he had started the process, at least. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was a bad idea. But she deserved it, El- Jane- deserved normalcy. They had a birth certificate, a solid story. The final missing piece was high school. He grabbed some Eggos out of the freezer and threw them in the toaster. 

“Jane. Breakfast.”

She came out of her room in a blue hoodie and pjs. 

Eleven grabbed orange juice from the fridge and poured herself and Hopper a glass. Then, she plopped herself on the chair. 

“Thanks, kid. Listen, I want to talk to you about some stuff. Important stuff.”

She looked up intently, curious, and slightly hopeful. 

He said, “You’re gonna be starting school this September.”

Her eyes got big and the smile spread across her face. She ran around the table and threw her arms around Hopper, nearly knocking him over. 

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. Her gestures were usually small, her affection in her eyes, smile, and at usually at arms length. Hugs were rare, brief things. Both she and Jim weren't really touchy-feely people. The magnitude of the hug spoke volumes. This was what was supposed to happen. She could finally be a kid. It would be insanely difficult to keep up the appearance of normalcy, but she needed this. 

“Thank you, Jim.”

He cleared his throat, chasing away his emotions. He wouldn't let himself get all sappy now. He said, “Don’t thank me yet, kid. We gotta talk logistics. There’s a lot of rules that go along with it. Way more than the old ones.”

Jane sat back down. “What kind of rules?” Hopper grabbed the Eggos and put them on their plates. 

“Well, let’s talk about what is going to change first. Bottom line, this cabin is a safe place. No one aside from our friends, can know where it is. We need to keep it that way. If, God forbid, anything happens and the bad men start snooping around, you can hide here.” Despite the fact that Jonathan and Joyce knew where the cabin was, no one else was allowed to, just in case. “So," Hopper continued, "The first thing is that we’ll have to move back in town.”

She didn’t touch her Eggos. She looked around the cabin, upset. “But, this is home.” 

“Home isn’t a house. It’s the people you’re with that make a home. I’ll admit, the place we’ll be living in, it's not very cozy. But you’ll be closer to everybody: Joyce- err- Mrs. Byers, Mike, all of them.” 

Jane smiled at that and nodded. “‘Kay. So, we move to new less-cozy house but still home. What next?” She started cutting up the toasted waffles. 

“Well, the next part’s a little tricky. I have figured out a story for how you came to live with me, but it’s a lie. I know you hate those.”

“I don’t have to lie to my friends, right?”

Hopper took a sip of orange juice, “Well, everyone that already knows you is in the loop. But if you make friends with anyone else along the way, you will have to lie to them about where you came from. Can you do that?” 

Jane thought this over. She didn’t want to lie to any friends she had, future or present. So, she decided that she just wouldn’t make new friends. Problem solved. She nodded. 

“I need an ‘I promise’ for that one, kiddo.”

She had shoveled a forkful in. She finished chewing before replying, “I promise.”

Jim proceeded to regale the invented story: She was Hopper’s daughter, but her mom and Hopper were never married. “It’s called an illegitimate child. It’s not exactly a nice term and it could involve insults being said about your mom. But this story is fake, so don’t feel the urge to defend your mom’s honor. It’s the story we got to stick to. People know me way too well in this town for me to invent a brother and claim you’re my niece.” El was still confused on why it mattered, so Hopper had to explain a lot of the social stigmas surrounding kids born out of wedlock. El still didn't quite get why it mattered but she didn't press for further reasoning. 

He lit up a cigarette, “Repeat the story back to me.”

El began, “You had sex with Mama," Hopper choked. 

Even though he had vaguely explained sex before, it was still not something he was okay hearing out of his adopted daughter's mouth. 

"You didn't do it to have babies but I was born anyway. And she didn’t tell you I was alive. Then, she… got sick…” This part she stumbled, it felt dishonest. Her mother wasn’t sick, she was stuck; stuck in a loop of horrible memories. Lying about having a life with her mother felt like dishonoring her memory and all that Terry Ives had gone through to get back her little girl. She swallowed down the guilt and continued. “Her sister, my aunt, asked you to take care of me.” This part, was at least closer to the truth. Her aunt had tried calling Hopper. She hadn’t really wanted her to stay. It still stung. “So, you took me in.”

“Good. Now, the last part of this puzzle is the school bit. We’ve got to catch you up on everything, but I’m not much of a teacher, myself.” He had gotten more D’s in school, flying by the seat of his pants and only barely managing to graduate. “So, we’ve got to find someone to tutor you. Thankfully, we’ve still got most of the summer left. Maybe Nancy?” 

Jane nodded. She liked the idea of Nancy teaching her. She had always wanted to talk to Nancy more, ever since Mike had said, “Nancy, she’d be like your sister.” El wasn’t looking for a sister anymore. She had Kali. But the admiration for Nancy was still there, and along with the desire to be more a part of the Wheeler family in whatever small way she could. 

With the first of the changes laid out, they began to packing up what few possessions El had. The photos of her mother, the bed, blankets, her clothes, what sparse makeup she had acquired for the SnowBall, and her books, most of which were comics Mike and the guys had given her.

They loaded everything into the back of Hopper’s suburban, with the exception of the mattress. El began sliding it with her mind when Hopper stopped her. 

“While I know this goes without saying, there’s one more thing we have to clarify.” He looked at her sternly. “There is no idle use of your powers. Bottom line. You use them in emergency only.”

“What if I’m just with my friends?”

“No. It is still a risk. You use your powers only in life threatening emergencies. Using your powers puts everything in jeopardy, period. Agreed?”

El furrowed her eyebrows. Her powers were a part of her. She was getting better at controlling them and testing the limits. Kali’s words rang in her head, “They can’t save you, Jane.” Hopper wouldn’t understand. But she had to agree or she might as well kiss freedom goodbye. She wouldn’t agree to not using her powers but she would at least be careful. So, she lied to Hopper, as he had done so many times before. 

“Agreed.”

“Good. Now, if you want to lift a mattress, you gotta carry it. That’s the way day to day life is gonna be, so we might as well get started now.” He hoisted one end up and she grabbed the other. They carried it out of her room, stumbling and cursing as they tried to get it through the front door. But it was stuck. 

She huffed, “A little push?”

Hopper replied, “No, we can get it through. Let’s change places. I’ll push.”

She looked at him, befuddled. This was pointless. He ducked down to get through the door and she did the same. He tried shoving it but it barely budged. 

He went in for another push, but this time, El used her powers to yank it forward. She almost fell backwards but caught herself and the mattress in time.

“See?” Hopper said, “Easy as pie.”

She looked over at him. Did he not know? 

Hopper gave her a second glance. “You didn’t do that, right?” 

She lied, “If I did, it would have been over there.” She pointed to the truck. Hopper nodded, satisfied. 

They carried it into the truck and shut the doors. She hopped in the passenger side and stared out the open window at the cabin. As they pulled away, she hid a small wave goodbye to the house she had come to call home. As the truck picked up speed she memorized the roads as the wind blew her hair around. Hopper put on his Jim Croce cassette and El smiled. 

“Still home,” she said.


	2. Chapter Two: Moving Day part 2

As they drove down the road, El breathed in the smell of her hoodie, Mike’s hoodie, deeply. His scent was fading, replaced by the musty smell of the cabin and Hopper’s cigarette smoke. Mike had outgrown it and given it to her. She remembered how he had smiled seeing it on her. 

“It feels like I just gave you my Letterman.”  
“What’s that?”  
“It’s something boyfriends and girlfriends do or used to, I don’t know if people still actually do it. The guy would give his girlfriend his jacket and it meant they were… together.”  
“Are we… together?”  
He grinned, sheepishly, “Definitely.”  
El had looked concerned, “What does that mean though? We go to the SnowBall and kiss. What else is supposed to happen?”  
“Well, normally we’re supposed to go out on dates, different places together, like the movie theatre or out to dinner. But,” Mike looked around at Will’s backyard. The only place El had been allowed to go was Will’s and the cabin, designated safe spots. Mike continued, “We can’t really do that yet.”   
“So just kissing for now?”  
“Yeah but also,” he leaned his forehead to hers, “this, and,” he held her hands in his, “this, too.” They were a little cold. March still had a little bite to it. Eleven blushed and nuzzled into him. 

Eleven was so excited. Going to school also meant dates, it meant seeing them everyday. She wouldn’t have to talk to Mike on the comm anymore. She could sit under her fort with him, still set up in his basement. She could play Dungeons and Dragons and plan Halloween costumes with their friends. She could go trick or treating this year. She could spend hours with Mike talking, breathing in his air, kissing him. The truck felt like it was taking forever. 

They finally pulled up to a long trailer at the edge of a lake. The view was beautiful but the house, on the outside, left much to be desired. 

“Here we are,” Hopper said. He stole a glance at Jane to gauge her reaction. She wasn’t outright horrified but she was somewhat grimacing as she took it in. “I know it’s not much to look at but it’s got a good amount of space inside. And you can decorate your room however you want. You want MTV punk room, we’ll buy the black paint today.”  
She turned, eyebrows raised, holding back a smile. 

“Then, let’s go.” She opened the door and grabbed the first few bags. Hopper followed suit.

When they walked it, it felt familiar. There was evidence of neglect. A thin last of dust had settled on many things and it felt empty, like the cabin had before. Jane looked around. There were piles of old mail laying around on the tables, unwashed coffee cups, and some of the light fixtures were unscrewed and strewn about the place. She put her bag down and held one up, looking questioningly at Hopper.   
“When Will disappeared and I started asking questions, the people from the lab bugged my house. A bug is not just an insect but also what you call a small listening device. It was a way for them to spy on me.”

Jane looked around horrified at the walls and lights. Hopper put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Jane. I’ve already checked this place. It’s why some of them are still unscrewed.”

“They would only be in lights?”

“And phones, which brings me to one of those rules,” He looked around and grabbed an old envelope and a pen off the counter and wrote down: “No phone calls.” 

He talked as he wrote, “Never use the phone. You don’t ever answer a phone call.” 

Jane nodded, feeling the weight of the risk they were taking.

Hopper continued, “If you need to contact anyone use the radio or…”

She raised her eyebrows. 

“Alright. You can use that tele-whatever thing you do. You can use that one. Again, never at school or in public. But don’t move stuff around though, okay?”

“Only in emergencies.”

“Yes.” He seemed relieved. 

____________________

El hated the idea of closing off a part of herself as much as she hated that she was lying about it. Yet, she remembered talking to Mike about it before, when she had told him about running away and finding Kali. El hadn’t told Hopper anything about her. She was afraid to.

When she told Mike, she asked if she should tell Hopper. He answered, “Adults don’t need to know everything. My parents have no idea about any of the stuff that’s happened. Same with Lucas, Dustin, and Max. Their parents don’t have a clue. And we have to keep it that way. But, Mrs. Byers and Hopper, they should know some stuff, but not everything.”

He held onto her hand. Mike’s hands were clammy and he looked scared, “But that guy knows about you now. You need to tell Hopper that.”

El shook her head. She looked away. She had worried before, about the man. Worried enough to try to find him. She saw him, with two bullets in his head, dead and decomposing. She was sure it was from Kali.

“He’s dead.” 

Mike sighed, relieved. “Then, you might not have to tell him after all.”

She was quiet for a moment, “He was a dad. He had two girls. He was a bad man but I-I don’t think he should’ve died.” She’d begin to cry, “But is it wrong that I’m relieved?”

“No, El, no.” He wrapped her up in his arms, holding her head to his chest and letting her tears soak his shirt. “Most days, we don’t get to decide who lives and who dies. People die all the time that don’t deserve it. You aren’t a killer or a monster. You spared him. That means you’re a good person. And don't feel bad about being relieved. I am too. It means you’re safe another day.” He stroked her hair. She nuzzled into his chest, “It means I get to hold you another day.”   
__________________

Jane looked around the room. They hadn’t even brought the mattress in yet and she was exhausted. Hopper had his records playing. This time it was Supertramp. They had cleared out one room full of work out equipment.

“Stupid bells.” She grunted as she picked them up.

“They’re called dumbbells,” Hopper retorted. Pleased with his own joke.

“Can I please just—”

“No, Jane.” His voice was stern. “This is what people have to do all the time. It’s called work. It’s sweaty and time consuming but it’s what everyone does. You want a normal life? This is what it looks like.”

She tossed the dumbbells out of the room. They landed with a clatter.

“Hey! Cool it!” 

She glared. Hopper stood up straight about to lecture but he stopped himself. 

“Deescalate.” He thought. They could both be hot heads. She was still a child and getting exhausted. Hell, he was getting exhausted. 

“El,” he rarely used that name anymore. Mostly, he used it when they were at the edge of an argument. It seemed to keep her in check in some small way. “You’re tired. I’m tired. Let’s take a break.”

Hopper made them both peanut butter sandwiches and they walked outside. It was significantly cooler outside. The air was warm but moving so the heat wasn’t totally unbearable. They went out to the lake. Hopper took off his shoes and sat down, dipping his feet in the water. Jane did the same. She bit into her sandwich and swished her feet around. It was mid afternoon, the sun was on its way down. 

El looked disappointed. She knew she probably wasn’t going to see Mike today.

Hopper thought about what he was going to do tomorrow. The first day of Jane being, literally, out of the woods. It had been one thing to leave her alone in the cabin where they had set up traps and where Eleven could throw bodies around for days. But out here in the open? He was off today but tomorrow he was back to work and he couldn’t leave her home alone. 

“So, tomorrow, I’m gonna see about having you stay at Joyce’s, I mean, Mrs. Byers, while I am at work.”

Jane turned her head so fast. 

“She’s probably working, but Jonathan will be there and you can probably invite your friends.”

She started glowing, her small smile becoming wider by the second. 

He warned, “You stay on the property and out of sight still. We’ve still gotta be careful. See if they can help you with back story stuff. How they met you and all. It would be very suspicious if you just moved here and immediately started dating Mike and being their friend.”

“More lies?”

“More like stories, not really lies.”

She pursed her lips. It would be worth it, she thought. Her friends were worth it. “‘Kay.”

“Let’s give this place another hour. Then, we’ll go over to Joy- Mrs. Byers—”

“Just call her Joyce. You hate using her other name so just stop.”

Hop was surprised at her bluntness. It was true. He hated using Lonnie's surname and attaching it to Joyce. “Okay,” He sputtered, “But you still call her Mrs. Byers.”

“Got it. We go after one hour.”

“Yep. She should be off work by then.” He brushed the crumbs off his hands and stood up. Drying his feet on the grass before slipping his socks and shoes back on.

He clapped his hands. “Back into the fray, kiddo.”

She stood up and followed back into the house, more motivated now. One hour.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, El goes over to Will's house to tell him the good news.

Will Byers had a procedure for opening the door, or rather, Hopper and his mom had given him a procedure for opening the door:

Look at the car as it came up the driveway. 

Lock the door, if it isn’t already. 

Even if you recognize the car, wait for the people to come out. 

Wait again for the special knock. 

Will felt like he was under house arrest most days. It was summer and these days used to be filled with adventures, going over his friends, and spending the days gaming. But it would also be filled with an independent solitude at times. If no one else was doing anything, he’d explore the woods, find new branches to build expansions on Castle Byers. 

But solitude was now limited to his room. Summer adventures had to be scheduled in advance. Whose house was he going over? Were their parents home? What time would he be picked up? If he was home, someone else had to be home. And that part definitely sucked. Jonathan had wanted to work full time over the summer and had Will been like any other fourteen year old, he would not have needed a constant babysitter. But, alas, when you’ve had two supernatural near-death experiences in the space of two years, your mom is not gonna be down with leaving you home alone. 

The truck pulling up was Hopper’s. He waited. Hopper and Jane stepped out. He waited again. There was the rhythmic knock. He unlocked the door. 

“Hey, El. Hey, Hopper.”

“Hey, kid,” Hopper answered. “Your mom’s not home, yet?”

“No, but Jonathan is.”

Jonathan, as if on cue, dashed out of his bedroom, wallet and keys in hand. His face fell when he saw Hopper instead of his mom. “Hey, Chief.” He seemed a little antsy. He was dressed in his work attire. Joyce was probably running behind.

“Hey, do you know when your mom’s supposed to be home?”

“She should be here any minute.” He said curtly. He could tell Hopper liked his mom. Jonathan had only barely tolerated Bob, but Jim Hopper? Nope. Not okay. He reeked of the same arrogance Lonnie had. Granted, he had been there through everything and had helped his mom through so much. There was plenty of not-Lonnie things about him but Jonathan was still not 100% on board. Hopper was bound to hurt his mom, he knew it.

“If you need to get to work, you can. I’m gonna be here for a bit.”

Jonathan looked at the clock. He wanted nothing more than to turn Hopper down. To turn him away and say, ‘I’ll tell her to call you when she gets back.’ But he had about 30 minutes to get to work and if he waited any longer he’d be cutting it way too close. Dammit. He hated when his mom did this shit. 

“That…um... yeah. Thanks, Chief.” He turned to Will. “Are you gonna be okay?”

Will seemed resigned. He hated that question, yet it was such a staple in their everyday dialogue. 

“I’ll be fine. Go to work.” He hated being a burden. Jonathan hugged him goodbye and left. 

“Thanks, again.” He said to Hopper. “See you later, Jane.” Pretty much only the party members called her El these days. She didn’t mind. She liked both her names but only certain people could call her Eleven. 

Jonathan locked the door before shutting it. A habit they had all developed. Will was in a similar amount of danger that El was. His name was on records. If the bad men decided that he would make a good test subject, Will could wind up disappearing again. “The bad men” had never used to be a concern for the Byers until a call about four months ago.   
______________

The phone rang it’s shrill sound.

When Joyce picked up the phone it was a therapist who wanted to “follow up.” 

“Hello, Mrs. Byers. This is Dr. Evesham, you had come to the office a few months ago. Just want to check in on Will and see how she’s doing. His symptoms were pretty severe last time we talked.”

“He’s doing much better, thank you.” She vaguely remembered the man from Boston, he sounded different though. “We’re taking care of him.”

“Well, like I said his symptoms were very severe. I’m concerned about his well being. Whatever Hawkins group therapy he’s going to is not really properly prepared for what Will has experienced.”

“He’s fine. We’re fine. Don’t call me again.”

“Mrs. Byers,” the man’s voice sounded oily, “You really ought to be careful. That boy is a danger to himself and to everyone. He could break at any moment. It would be a shame for him to be institutionalized if we can prevent such things.” 

Joyce’s hand trembled as she held the phone. She kept her voice steady, though. “I’m recording this call. I wonder which news station I could call first. You know how they loved hearing about all the fun things that happen in Hawkins.”

There was an immediate click on the other end. Joyce has collapsed onto the floor, shaking and crying. The threat still pounding in her ears. After that, she never picked up the phone again. She screened all her calls, letting them go to the answering machine. 

Joyce and Hopper had the conversation of moving. But they agreed not to. For Joyce, Will’s friends were his support system. They were keeping him grounded, stable. For Hopper, Hawkins was now in the national spotlight. If someone else managed to disappear, it would be all over the news. It was why he wanted to get Jane into the school system sooner rather than waiting the full rest of the year. The sooner she was on the books, the sooner warning bells could be sounded if she disappeared. There was a delicate balancing act between being just enough in the spotlight to prevent an offensive from the bad men and enough in the shadows to not draw their attention. Should they find Jane or Will, he would make it as difficult as possible for them to take them.   
________________________

Hopper turned towards the kids. “I’m thinking pizza, what about you?”

Will smiled, “Sure.” Ordering pizza was a luxury the Byers rarely enjoyed. But it was a staple with Hopper. 

El shrugged, “Sure.” 

He picked up the phone and looked at the kids. They went into Will’s bedroom, shut the door, and closed the blinds. Another precaution. Ordering pizza looked normal, maintained the facade, but they still had to stay out of sight. El sat on Will’s chair by his desk. 

“After pizza, want to call Mike?” El asked, hopeful.

Will sighed, “He’s got his grandparents over for dinner tonight. He won’t answer.”

El’s shoulders sagged, Will seemed just as disappointed. “What about Max? Or Dustin and Lucas?” 

“Dustin is working tonight, and Lucas is hanging out with Max.”

El sighed and leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling. When the others were around, they forgot about how trapped they felt. Will resigned himself. It seemed they were sharing a cell block tonight. 

“Will they be able to come over tomorrow?” Eleven asked.

“Tomorrow night?”

“No. Tomorrow, day. Hopper said I’d be staying here while he’s at work.”

“Oh.” That was new and surprising. El had never spent the whole day there. It was usually a few hours here and there. And always with Hopper in the immediate vicinity. “Yeah, I can invite them over.”

“Good.” She had wanted to wait to tell Mike first, but she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She smiled and leaned forward, “I’m starting school this September.”

Will looked surprised, “Our school? High school?”

El nodded in excitement. 

Will exclaimed, “That’s awesome, El!”

She hopped over to his bed. She couldn’t sit still anymore. “What’s school like?”

“Oh, it’s great. Especially because it’s high school. You get to pick your own classes. This year I got to pick Art, Chemistry, and Spanish. There’s the classes everyone has to take too: English Lit, Algebra, History, Gym.” His face fell, “Ugh… gym.”

“What is gym? It’s the big place, where there’s announcements, right?” She vaguely recalled where all the students had gathered for Will’s remembrance and where they had set up the sensory deprivation tank.

“It’s also a class. You run around and learn how to play sports. But unfortunately, all the people you avoid by taking higher level classes, you see during gym.”

“Like mouthbreathers?”

“Exactly. But, we’ll just make sure at least one other party member is in gym with you, so you don’t break anyone’s arm.” He smirked.

“Wait, we’ll be split up?” The thought had never occurred to her.

“Well, it depends on the classes you choose and what level you’re at.”

“Level?”

“It’s kind of like a score, like a test you have to take to get into certain classes.”

Will felt remorseful as he watched the horrified look on El’s face. He shouldn’t have brought this up. He should have waited until Mike was here. He was the one better at coming up with solutions and plans.

“How do I take the test? What score did you guys get?” El asked.

“It’s okay, El. We’ll get you caught up.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah, definitely.” Will did not feel like breaking out his summer reading or his school work. But, it was his fault she was panicking, so he opened his closet and dug out his old notebooks. Most of them had been saved for the doodles he littered across the pages, but as it turned out, they would be immensely helpful in catching El up with years of schooling.

Will continued, “The others will be here tomorrow and can help you out too. We’ll call it Operation Level Up.” He smiled over his shoulder as he dug more books and folders out. 

He had managed to find some old tests. His mom saved every paper he got a 100 on. He had been embarrassed before, because there were so many. Thank God she did though. He had El begin his summer reading, The Old Man and the Sea, while he copied questions onto notebook paper. After going through multiple math, science, and English papers, he asked her for a summary on the first chapter. Will had read the first two chapters at least, so he would have a good idea of the correct answer.

El looked really confused and explained the best she could, “There are two fishermen: an old man and a boy. The old man can’t catch fish, except when he does. But the boy calls him the best fisherman anyway? And… he dreams of lions?”

El was used to reading about superheroes and adventures. The entire first chapter was about a man and a boy not doing much of anything and this confused her. Why would anyone write that or read it, for that matter?

Will thought it over. The good news was that she could read. But teaching her how to analyze works and look beyond the words, was going to be a pain in the ass. He barely could grasp it himself. 

“Okay. Ugh. Good. Try answering this.” He handed her one of his copies and a pencil. It was math, basic addition and subtraction. She finished it in a matter of seconds. 

“Good?” She asked.

“Great!” Will handed her another one. Multiplication, division, decimals, fractions. He even threw in plotting points on a grid. She whizzed through them like nothing. 

El felt pretty good about herself, seeing how impressed Will was.

Then, he handed her a history quiz. She looked at it, completely lost. Declaration of Independence? Checks and Balances? Thirteen colonies? Economy? What were these things? She looked up at him and shook her head. 

Will nodded, “It’s okay. We’re seeing what you need to know. You are good to go on math, which is awesome.” 

There was a moment of quiet. Will bit his lip, almost afraid to ask, “How- what did you learn at that place?”

She winced, looking away. Sometimes she found herself so swept up in the normalcy of Hawkins that she forgot about the place where she spent most of her life. She could pretend that life had begun the moment Mike and the guys found her in the rain. But then it hit her, no. She was raised in the walls of a lab, more familiar with wires than sunshine. 

Will shook his head. “I’m sorry. Please, forget I asked that.”

“No. It’s okay, Will. You need to know what I know for the tests, right?”

“We don’t have to,” he mumbled, upset he’d even brought it up. Even if he was a little curious.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, partially to Will and partially to herself. “I learned…” El’s eyes glazed over, remembering. She had learned how to plot grids because she was taught how to find places on a map. She had learned the names of countries and the sound of many languages. She could read and write easily in Russian, Chinese, and English. And she could speak and understand them fairly well too. 

Like a metronome, she began the familiar cadence as she rattled off countries names, “Russia, Россия, China, Zhōngguó, Ukraine, Україна…” 

Will stared and listened to her say 26 countries pronounced in English and their respective languages before he stopped her. “That’s enough, El.” 

El opened her eyes and saw Will’s shock.

“Well, I don’t think Geography will be much of a problem,” he smiled, impressed.

She looked down at the floor, “I mostly learned places. How to find things and people. They taught me how to read. I know how to listen. But this isn’t what they teach in school, is it?”

“It’s very different. But that’s okay. The toughest part is figuring out how to read and write. And you seem to know how to do all that. If you can memorize what sounds like every country and language in the world, this school stuff is gonna be a piece of cake.” 

“So… I’m not a numbskull?”

“Are you kidding?! No way, you’re a genius. You just have to catch up on stuff. We’ll get you there. We’ll start with history. That’ll help you with English Literature, a lot. If you know the context of events, you’ll be able to make more sense of the gibberish these authors write.”

They heard a knock on the front door. Not a rhythmic one. They got quiet and waited. 

They listened to the voices at the door, “That’s three large pizzas, one Pepperoni, one Hawaiian, and one plain.”

“Thanks, what do I owe you?” Hopper said.

“$23.70.”

“‘Alright.”

“Thanks, man.”

“No problem, have a good night.” 

Will and El waited for the door to shut and click. Then, they waited for Hopper’s all clear. 

“Pizza’s here!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which, Joyce comes home to some surprise visitors

Joyce knocked rhythmically on the door. She heard the click, as Hopper opened the door.

“Hop!” She was surprised to say the least. “What are you doing here?”

Surprise had turned to anger. Not only had he not told her he was coming over, he had come and was in her house when she wasn’t there. “Do you mind explaining what--” Then she panicked. “Is Will okay?” She pushed through the door to see Will and El eating through their second, or possibly third slice of pizza. “Where’s Jonathan?”

Will looked confused. “Mom, he went to work over 2 hours ago.”

“What? I can’t believe it! I told him I was working a double today.”

Will shook his head, “I don’t think you did. Wasn’t that supposed to be tomorrow?”

“No, sweetie.”

“Yeah, mom. You said ‘I’m working a double this Thursday.’ You asked him to switch his schedule and everything.”

The realization dawned on her and she put her head in her hands. “Oh my God, I did.” She massaged her eyes. 

Hopper stood feeling helpless, wishing there was more he could do to help her. She always had to stretch herself and time so thin. Not that she would ever accept his help. She was very stubborn, prideful, and independent. He remembered that from high school. In many ways, he was glad to see it never changed. 

He offered, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Joyce. I was here when he had to go to work.”

She turned, “Yeah. Why were you here? Did you say you were coming over?” 

“Well, no, not exactly.”

Joyce blinked, “And… you and Jane… everything is okay?”

“Yeah. Everything is fine. I just wanted to come over to talk about… well… a few things.” Hopper cleared his throat.

Joyce nodded, “I’m assuming alone?”

“It doesn’t have to be now. You just got home.”

“Yeah. I’m gonna go change. Then, let’s talk.” Joyce was visibly agitated. 

Will and El exchanged a look before grabbing a few slices of pizza and returning to Will’s room. 

Joyce walked to her room and shut the door a little harder than she meant to. She threw off her Melvald's uniform and dug through her laundry basket for a shirt. Joyce was irritated with herself for nearly messing up Jonathan’s schedule. She was frustrated that the only reason Jonathan didn’t lose his job today was that Hopper had randomly showed up. What bothered her most, though, was how comfortable he felt stopping by. No, not stopping by, staying over. He had been there for 2 hours, in her house, with her boy. Bob had been so good for her boys. He was patient. He took small steps, bringing over games, movie nights, and driving Will to school. But Hopper wasn’t taking steps at all. He was barging into their lives. 

Joyce sighed and looked up at the ceiling, ringing her shirt in her hands. Was that really fair? No, Hopper was her friend. He had helped her through so much, everything she had gone through for the past two, nearly three, years he had been there for. Yet, she could feel it. Their relationship was starting to change. He was becoming more of a presence in both Jonathan and Will’s lives, but he wasn’t taking the steps Bob had. 

Joyce had dated infrequently after Lonnie left. But she made absolutely certain that she kept her world as a mom separate from the ‘single, woman looking for a decent freaking guy.’ She had once made the mistake of inviting a guy over. He had been so charming and seemed really kid friendly. But Jonathan hadn’t been ready for it. He was bitter and rude towards him the entire dinner. 

At the end of the night, the guy had said something along the lines of, “He always have a stick up his ass?” 

In that moment, Joyce swore to herself never again would she let a man in the house, unless she was ABSOLUTELY SURE. She didn’t trust her taste in men. That was until Bob. He had been so good for her boys, for their family. She drew a shaky breath. Now was not the time to think about him. 

The bottom line was that Hopper wasn’t being careful. She had to let him know. They had to talk. She threw her shirt on and opened the door. 

She saw Will’s door closed and Hopper sitting at the dining room table, alone, with a lit cigarette in his mouth. He looked very comfortable and she felt her anger bubble up. She held onto the back of the chair and remained standing.

“So, what did you come here to talk about?” Her voice was sharp, the tone wasn’t lost on Hopper, but he chalked it up to a rough day.

“I’m moving Jane into Hawkins. I’m enrolling her in school, starting in September.”

Joyce was stunned. She loosened her grip on the chair, “Already? I thought you said you were going to wait a year?”

Hopper tapped the ash into the ashtray. “I don’t know if I can wait any longer. As it is right now, she doesn’t exist on record except for one birth certificate. No school records, no school pictures. Nothing. If she were to ever…. If they ever took her, I’d have nothing to prove who she was aside from a name. So, I started the process. I called the school this morning and we’ve spent most of today moving back into my trailer." "That's great, Hop." She was trying to be genuinely happy for him despite her anger. "But, problem is, I go back to work tomorrow. And I can’t leave her in the trailer alone. She’d be a sitting duck, if they found her. It’s not like the cabin. There she’s safe. She has traps and miles of distance. If she has to defend herself there, she can. It wasn’t something I could say over the phone, so I drove over to talk to you instead.”

“So… what are you going to do?”

“Well, I was going to ask if she could stay here tomorrow. I was gonna see if you or Jonathan could be here with her.” He realized now that this probably was not the best way to ask her, to ask her the day before. 

“Hopper,” she said, lips pursed. “I’m glad you were here, so Jonathan could get to work. But I think we need to talk about boundaries.”

The cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth, “Boundaries?”

“Yes. Boundaries, Jim.” He raised his eyebrows. She never called him Jim. She was pissed. 

He took a breath, and measured his words carefully. “I know I should have called first and I’m sorry about that.” 

“Sorry? You think ‘sorry’ is gonna cover it? No. I opened my house to her,” she pointed at Will’s room, “because she deserves more than being locked up in some cabin! But this is a huge decision! And if you needed my help to watch her, why didn’t you involve me in the conversation?!”

“I’m sorry. Everything happened so fast. There wasn’t a conversation to be had.”

“It only occured to you today that someone would need to watch her? Or are you saying that you just assumed I would be fine with it?”

El and Will sat against the door, listening to Joyce and Hopper’s voices get louder. Their knees tucked into their chests. Will was used to this. It had been a while, but he remembered. Sometimes, when Lonnie had been drinking, Will and Jonathan would listen to make sure their mother would be okay. They would sit against the door, terrified that he’d hurt her. Most times though, the fights were just loud and they would crank up music to drown out their voices.

“I wasn’t assuming anything!” Hopper’s voice rose.

El covered her ears. She hated hearing Hopper yell. She hated that they were fighting, the two people who she felt were the closest thing she had to a family.

“Yes you did! You assumed I would be okay coming home and seeing you here without me. You walked into MY house without telling me! You asked MY boys to open the door for you! That is not your place! This is not your house!” Joyce yelled.

Will turned to El. He saw her fingernails digging into her hair.

“El?” Will asked.

Hopper‘s voice boomed, “I’m not saying it is!”

The windows started to rattle and both Hopper and Joyce stopped. 

Will put an arm around Eleven. “It’s okay, El.” He pulled her close to him the way his brother used to. She looked at Will, uncertain, and leaned into his embrace. She let go of her hair and wiped the tears that were forming. 

There was a soft knock at Will’s door. “El?” It was Hopper’s voice, but softer, calm.

Then, they heard Joyce’s voice, “Hey, sweetie. It’s okay.”

Will searched El’s face, until she met his gaze. “Do you want me to open the door?”

She nodded. Will stood and helped El onto her feet. He opened the door. 

Joyce and Hopper looked at the two kids in the door frame. They had been through hell, but two adults fighting still managed to shake them.

Hopper opened his arm to Jane, “I’m sorry I yelled, kid.” 

El hugged him tight. She looked at Joyce. “Please, please. Please let me stay tomorrow.”

Joyce looked at Hopper. He squinted his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Well, if coming in unannounced was taking liberties, saying she could stay the day tomorrow definitely was. Probably two fold. 

“Of course, you can, Jane.” Joyce threw Hopper a death glare. “I’m sorry we scared you.”

“Wasn’t scared. I... I don’t want you two to fight.”

Hopper interjected, “Sometimes that’s how people communicate.”

“Well, that’s a stupid way to communicate.” She looked at him. 

Joyce jumped in, “Maybe it is. But yelling doesn’t mean we’d hurt each other. Or that we’ll never speak to each other again. We yell, but then we fix it together.” 

El looked from Joyce to Hopper, he nodded. 

Will stepped in, “We’ll let you guys talk it out. We’ve got to study anyway.”

Joyce nodded. She watched Will usher Jane in and close the door gently behind them. She remembered having a similar conversation with Will many years ago. Her youngest son had tried so hard to fix Lonnie and her relationship. He’d write apology notes and sign them from Lonnie or Joyce in his tiny 7 year old scrawl. Their separation had really affected him. Now, here she was doing it all over again with Hopper. Her heart skipped a beat. 

No. Hopper was her friend. That was all she could let him be. There was a reason she had broken up with him before. They were both so stubborn and pig headed at times. They’d fight the same way they did tonight. They were immovable. And yet, he had never tried to invalidate her. He never made her feel like she was being irrational, or paranoid, or crazy the way Lonnie had. He never tried to make her feel small or intimidated her. The only time she ever felt small around him was when he held her in his arms. 

Joyce Byers slapped the thought away. This was ridiculous. She was still infuriated with him... somewhat... dammit! She went to the kitchen, grabbed a slice of pizza and her cigarettes. 

Hopper took one of his own out of the pack. 

He sighed, “Joyce, I fucked up. I should have talked to you about this.”

She lit up and took a drag. “Yes, you should have.” She spoke in a hushed, but still sharp tone.

“I came over here, thinking you were done work.” 

“That’s not an excuse, Hop. You need to call me ahead of time. You didn’t plan it out at all or even ask.”

“You’re right. I didn’t plan. I’ve sort of been flying by the seat of my pants all day.”

Joyce shook her head. He wasn’t used to having kids, it had been years for him since Sara. And they’d never gotten to the “Who’s watching the baby?” stage, because his wife was a stay at home mom. “Hopper. You have to arrange things before making plans.”

“Like working a double?” The words were out his mouth before he could stop them. His face fell, immediately regretting it.

She glared, “You know what, yeah. Exactly like that. But welcome to life as a single parent, Hop. When it’s all on you, you do the best that you can but you never feel like it’s enough. You always feel like you’re short changing them because you have to work TWICE as hard to keep the lights on.” 

“I’m sorry that was out of line.”

She held her hand up and sighed. “Hopper. You remember why we broke up?”

He got quiet, she had always been the girl who got away to him. He had made stupid decisions as a kid and it had cost him the love of his life. He never said that out loud, but despite the fact that he loved Diane, and watching her be a mom were among his happiest memories, he always had a small part of his heart carved out for Joyce. It might have been stored away, like his boxes of memories in the cabin, but it was always there.

“Because I was an ass,” he answered.

“Because we always used to fight. And our fights were loud. I thought, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’ And here we are, twenty years later, doing it again.”

Hopper took a long drag, uncertain of what she meant by that. Was she admitting then, that there was something more between them? 

Joyce continued, quieter, “You come over, bring pizza, and watch my boy. You’re here when I’m falling apart and you’ve saved my family so many times. And Jonathan and Will see that. You are becoming more of a presence in their lives. But you’ve got to be careful, Hop. Jonathan has, for the most part, not needed another guy in the house for a long time. But I think Will always wanted more. He wants the father figure thing. The more you come over, the more time you spend here, the more you fill that hole. You HAVE to be careful, Hop. I don’t want a repeat of Lonnie to him. He’s been through enough.”

“You know I’d never treat you or him the way that dir-,” he lowered his voice, looking over his shoulder at Will’s room, “dirtbag did.”

“I know you wouldn't. That’s not what I meant. I just mean…” She sighed. She couldn’t put it into words. She thought, “Don’t get our— his hopes up.”

Hopper’s hand itched to hold hers. Was she still too mad? He risked it. He reached his hand over and held hers.

Joyce felt butterflies. God, was she really in this deep? Butterflies? What was she, 12? Yet, her skin prickled at the touch. 

She remembered the first time they held hands in the park. He had thrown his leather jacket over her shoulders and his hand had been waiting outside the sleeve when she put her arms through. She had laughed with surprise, but it had made her heart flutter. They had crossed from friends, sneaking to smoke, to falling in love. 

“Joyce, I know that lately, I’ve been sort of barging into your life. I appreciate all that you’ve done for me and Jane. If I overstepped, I’m sorry. If I’m imposing, tell me. The last thing I want to be is a burden. Just tell me what to do.”

She brushed her thumb across his. There was an impulse to push her complaints aside, to not “ruin” the moment. She had done that with Jim when they were young and it resulted in her bottling a lot of things up. She didn't want to do that again. 

She suggested, “Respect that this house is as much theirs as it is mine. Call ahead first. Make plans. I’m going to make an effort too. I will work on talking before I resort to yelling.” 

Hopper nodded. “I’ll work on that, too. And Joyce... you fill that hole for Jane too.”

There was a soft smile that swept across her face and she looked away. “I guess I’ll have to be careful too then.” 

They sat in the silence comfortably, the air cleared between them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short update today! But hey, at least there's some Mileven. Next chapter will be longer but I didn't want to hold out on you guys any longer. :)

Will watched El carefully, as she sat on his bed. A part of him felt scared, like she was a bomb that could go off at any moment. It was so easy to forget the sheer amount of power she possessed. And yet, he understood what it felt like to listen to his mom and dad yelling. He could remember holding his ears and wishing that they’d stop. If he had powers when he was younger, he would have shaken the whole house if that meant they wouldn’t fight anymore. 

This was the same girl who had helped save him twice. He had no reason to fear her. He slowly walked over and sat down next to her. 

“El, you okay?”

She shrugged, keeping her eyes fixed on a the floor. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

El shook her head. 

Will felt terrible at this. The truth was he could be a good listener, he really could. But this part called for talking, for comforting. And Will always felt like he was falling short. Whenever Mike had talked about El last year, he would frantically search for the right words to say. But even if he did, his doubt shot them down before they could be uttered. 

Will looked around the room for inspiration and his eyes landed on the Supercom. 

“Mike is probably finished dinner by now. Do you want to tell him about tomorrow?”

El lifted her head and immediately brightened. “Yes!” 

Will grabbed the com, relieved he could help in some way, if only by distracting her.

Will turned to Mike’s channel. “Hey Mike, it’s Will. Do you copy?”  
___________

Mike laid on his bed, relieved to be alone for the moment. He listened to the rise and fall of voices downstairs. Mike could only stand so much at the dinner table these days. His mother and father’s relationship was worse than ever. Whenever they had to occupy the same space, she was either on edge or drinking. She never used to get so frustrated. Normally, they could sort of sit through dinner without a fight. They didn’t talk to each other, but it had become a functional avoidance. But now, they were forced to pretend normalcy while his grandparents were there. His parents couldn’t do normal anymore, so they just bickered over stupid stuff and took turns making passive aggressive comments about the other. 

Thankfully, Nancy had taken the role of dominating much of the conversation at dinner. She was actually fantastic at it. Every time there was a comment that would have resulted in a fight, she would dive in about family history (which would get Grandma going for a while) or she’d talk about college, “Grandpa, what kind of classes did you take your first year?” Mike tried to sit through until dessert. Really, he did.

But then Grandpa Wheeler started talking about baseball. Mike was ready to put his head through the wall. 

His whiskers twitched as he had asked, “So, Mike, what sports do you play?”

“I don’t play any, really.” Mike stabbed his fork at the sweet potatoes. Maybe he could fake an allergic to them, so he didn’t have to stay.

“You know, high school is the time where talent scouts are looking. You really ought to start getting involved in something. You’ve never been the best team player, maybe track would be good for you.”

Mike glanced over at Nancy, who was daintily shoving her food in as fast as she could. She was relieved for the break. Fair was fair, it was his turn. He shoved down the urge to be sarcastic and instead did his best to explain (again) that he had been president of the A.V. Club in middle school and was planning on continuing the club into high school. He talked about the science fair, and all manner of things he considered accomplishments. Though, it seemed he had lost his grandfather’s interest. 

Once Nancy had eaten and had to jump in (again) on behalf of their parents, Mike had enough and excused himself. 

He stared at his ceiling. His parents seemed proud of what he’d accomplished, especially his mom. But, there was always that concealed air of disappointment from his dad. He had been on the Hawkins football team. He had tried so hard for the first half of Mike’s life to get him into sports. But he eventually gave up. His son would never be the jock he wanted him to be. 

He turned his head and looked at his trophy from the science fair, then to the picture of him, Will, Lucas, and Dustin. He walked over and held the picture. In more ways than he could say, his friends were his family. They kept him sane when his parents would drive him crazy. 

They accepted him.

The Supercom crackled, “Hey, Mike! It’s Will. Do you copy?”

Mike leap onto his bed and grabbed the com. “I copy. What’s up?”   
_______________

El was practically leaning over Will to get the com. “Let me speak.”

“Hold on!” Will grinned. He held the receiver and said, “We’ve got a serious situation on our hands.” He tried to keep the laughter out of his voice to no avail.

Mike furrowed his eyebrows. Will sounded incredibly jovial, giddy even. “Really?”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. El is starting school in September and she needs tutors.”

Mike was stunned, “Wait, what?”

Will handed the com over to El and she grinned, “He said I’ll be starting school with you in September.” 

Mike’s heart leapt. “El!”

The corners of El’s eyes crinkled with her smile and Will felt a pang in his heart. She was such a serious girl most of the time, but the second she was with Mike, she would glow. The same went for Mike. Will loved seeing the way his friend’s grin spread, sometimes bashfully across his face. As happy as he was for them both, there was a small part of him that ached and felt sad. Was it that he wanted to have that too? He always buried the feeling, choosing to focus on being happy for them both. 

Mike exclaimed, “I can’t believe it! I thought Hopper meant a year, like a full year.”

El responded, “I thought so too, but no. We moved into Hawkins, into his… trailer?” She was pretty certain that was the word. 

“He lives in a trailer?” The idea struck Mike as both odd and fitting. He was the chief of police. Surely he could afford a house? But he couldn’t picture Hopper mowing the lawn either, so perhaps it made sense. He changed the question, “When did this all happen? Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I didn’t know. Everything happened today. We moved in and now Will is helping me… study. For history?” The strange word rolled around. 

Will reached for the com again. El held it to her chest, upset at the idea of him taking it. He raised his eyebrows and she reluctantly handed it over. 

Will pressed the button, “Mike, it’s Will again. We have to get her ready for high school. She needs a lot of catching up.” He looked at her and she seemed embarrassed. “I mean it’s totally doable. She’s like a genius,”a sheepish grin returned to her face. “But I’m more concerned about her uhhh…. not breaking Troy’s arm again.”

El lifted up her hands. Why did they always bring that up?

Mike nodded, “I definitely agree. She can handle the academic stuff. But the rest of it, yeah…” He thought about the things the asshats at school said/ did to him on the regular. Troy kept his distance nowadays but there were plenty more like him. 

Will responded, “I’m thinking we’re gonna need some reinforcements for Operation: Survive High School. What do you think?”

“Yeah! Let’s call them up. I’ll call Lucas, you call Dustin.”

“Roger that. El’s going to be over at my house tomorrow all day. Let’s see if everyone can meet here. Tell Lucas and Max to bring any and all notes they have left over from the year.” 

“Gotcha. Hey Will, can you put El back on?”

He handed her the com and she leapt off the bed. El turned the volume down. There wasn’t much in the way of privacy, but Will did his best to avert his eyes. 

“I missed you, Mike.”

“I’m always missing you, El. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

Her stomach was doing somersaults. “Can’t wait to see you.”

Mike’s heart fluttered, it always felt so good to hear her voice. “Can we still talk later tonight?” 

El thought, “No powers.” That had been the rule. The one she kept breaking. But maybe Hopper hadn’t meant ‘visiting.’   
___________________

‘Visiting.’ The space in between where she could hear people, find people, had once been a scary dark place. But she was so familiar with it now. She didn’t need the static anymore. She didn’t even need Mike’s hoodie anymore, but he had given it to her all the same.  
Mike would still call her on the com every night but now she could talk back to her. Sometimes they would talk for over an hour, til the radio’s charge drained. Sometimes they didn’t talk much at all. Mike couldn’t see El, but they discovered that when she touched him in the In-Between, he could almost feel it. His skin would prickle, the hair would raise. So sometimes, they just laid down under the fort and held hands or she’d trace the lines of his face. 

She couldn’t decide if these interactions made the distance worse or better. She was grateful for every moment, but she also knew that she left Mike wanting. 

“I wish I could touch you back.” “I wish I could see you.” 

It felt unfair. He’d been through so much this past year.   
_____________________

“Of course,” El answered, smiling. She couldn’t stop herself if she tried.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I don't tend to write things sequentially, so I have been writing, just 5 chapters ahead. XP

When Jane and Hopper got back home, the trailer was still pretty disheveled. Hopper cleared out the last of the old junk he had stored in the spare bedroom and brought in some of Jane’s books, placing them on the bedside table. 

He held up one of the books, The Neverending Story. “Want me to read this one tonight?”  
Jane looked at the book and then looked at Hopper. It was late, if he read to her, she might miss out on talking to Mike. She furrowed her eyebrows apologetically, trying to form the right words so that she could gently decline.   
He shrugged and put the book down. “It’s okay, kid. It’s been a long day.” 

She was relieved and a little guilty. Hopper leaned down and kissed her head. He was about to leave when he grabbed the radio from the box by the door and set it beside her on the table. 

“Not too late, we gotta get up early tomorrow.”

Hopper knew she wanted to talk to Mike, and he accepted it. He was allowing her to grow. Before he could turn back, Jane threw her arms around him and squeezed tight. “Good night…. Dad.”

It sounded forced and a little awkward, but Hopper’s throat still caught. “You don’t have to call me that, kid.”

“I know… but I want to try.”

He patted her back and she let go. She could see a faint sheen in his eyes. He turned away and blinked away the moisture gathering in his eyes. 

“Goodnight, kid.” 

He closed the door, getting one last glimpse of her smile. He rubbed his eyes and breathed deeply. It had felt so good to hear it. He hadn’t ever been called “Dad.” It had always been “Daddy” or “DaDa”. Sarah had never gotten old enough to call him “Dad.” But some days, he’d wonder about who she would have been and what it would have sounded like. 

Hopper heard the radio static and he stepped away from the door. He had to distract himself. It was a happy moment between him and Jane. He didn’t want to let his mind wonder to sad places of what could have been. Hopper turned on his record player and busied himself getting the house in order.

________________________

Jane turned on the radio. Hopper didn’t know that the static wasn’t necessary anymore. These days all she really needed was an object, if that. But she wanted to use the radio because he had offered it. The gesture had meant so much to her.

El shut her eyes and went to the In-Between. She saw Mike laying down on his bed, still in his jeans. He refused to change into his pjs til after he and El talked, lest he fall asleep waiting for her. She sat down beside him and held his hand.

Mike felt the familiar prickle on his skin, the hairs on his hand raised. 

“El…” he smiled and looked in what he hoped was her direction. Their conversations sometimes still left him feeling a little crazy. Maybe he was imagining all this? What if their nightly conversations were all in his head? He knew they weren’t but he couldn’t help doubting sometimes. It all still felt so removed from reality. 

She leaned down and kissed his forehead, “Hi, Mike.” He could hear her smile through the com. 

Mike said, “Tell me about your day. Tell me everything about today.”

El went on to explain the events of the day, including a few of the new rules Hopper had made. She wasn’t great at telling stories. She stumbled through some parts. But years of conversations with Will had taught Mike how to coax details out of a quiet person. He patiently waited for her to find the right words. Then, she started talking about the fight between Hopper and Joyce.

“I thought that they were friends but the way that they were yelling… do they hate each other now?”

Mike thought about bringing up his parents but decided against it. His parents were terrible examples. They fought about nothing, and nitpicked at one another. “I don’t think so. People get mad sometimes, like when Lucas and I fight. It happens but that doesn’t mean you stay mad forever.”

“Do your Mama and Papa fight?”

“My parents?”

“Yes, your… parents.”

“I don’t think my parents are the best example.”

“Why not?”

“Because their fights are… stupid. They fight to make the other person hurt. From what you’re saying, that’s not how the Chief and Mrs. Byers were.”

El was quiet for a moment, considering this. “They try to hurt each other?”

“Not physically. With their words. They say mean things to each other. They just… I don’t think they love each other anymore.”

This notion scared El. Love was supposed to be forever. Wasn’t that what marriage was for? “Why?”

Mike looked up at the ceiling, his eyebrows creased. The conversation was upsetting him. 

“We don’t have to talk about it anymore, Mike. I’m..”

“No, El, it’s okay.” Mike rooked a deep breath and explained, “They used to be in love. They met in college. My dad was in his senior year when he met my mom. She was studying to be a teacher.” He paused here,“My mom’s actually really smart. But she doesn’t believe she is... Anyway, when she met my dad, he told her that she could still go to school. But when she had Nancy, he didn’t actually do anything to help her. So she never went back to school. I think she resents my dad for not helping her finish college. So, now they just fight all the time about stupid stuff..” 

El was quiet.

“Sorry, El. That was a long winded answer…” he rambled. 

El interrupted, “What if we fall out of love…?”

“What?” Mike sat up, his forehead almost touching El’s (though he didn’t realize it). “No way, El! My dad stopped my mom from achieving her dream. She gave up! That’s why they don’t love each other. That wouldn’t happen with us! Whatever you want to grow up to be, I’ll help you.”

El pressed her forehead to Mike’s. “And I’ll help you, too.”

“I don’t think it’s just that though...They don’t talk about why they’re actually upset. I don’t want that to happen with us. So promise me, El, if you’re ever upset or angry at me, promise to talk to me about it.”

“I promise, Mike.”

“I promise, too.”

Their conversation moved onto El asking questions about school and different subjects she would be learning at the start of school. Mike could hear El’s voice getting tired.

“Get some sleep, El. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait. Goodnight, Mike.”

“Goodnight, El.”

The com went quiet. Mike sat in the silence, his head swimming. Mike missed El. As happy as he was to hear her voice and feel the electricity pass between them at her touch, he couldn’t touch her back. He couldn’t see her. He told himself he was being selfish and that he shouldn’t want more but he couldn’t help it. 

He was insanely happy that she’d be at school with them this year. He would get to see her everyday. He could hold her, touch her, kiss her. He wouldn't have to settle with waiting for days to see her. He could take her on dates. He blushed at the idea. He’d be able to take her on a date, a real one. 

Most of their current “dates” were sitting on Will’s couch and watching a movie or show together and always with Will there too.

Will had offered before to give them space on these almost-dates. Mike had never felt more appreciative of Will’s generous nature than in that moment. He took him up on it only once, but ultimately he felt way too guilty to actually enjoy the few minutes he had alone with El. He shouldn’t have to ask his friend to make himself scarce in his own house. It wasn’t fair to Will. 

But things could be different now. They could do the normal couple thing. All the stuff Lucas and Max did- wait at each other’s locker; celebrate monthly anniversaries; share notes; and the small affectionate gestures that came with normalcy. 

Mike changed into his shorts and a clean t-shirt. He looped the bandana Jane had given him on his wrist. 

The day after he had given her his hoodie, she gave him one of her shirts. Of course, it didn’t fit him, so instead she ripped and tied it around his wrist. It matched the one she got from her time with Kali. Her fingers were a bit clumsy with the knot but Mike enjoyed watching her so focused and intent. 

Mike gently grazed the fabric, smiling, and turned out the light.


	7. Chapter 7: Operation High School- The Study Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group has all gotten together to defeat their summer reading? Actually it is to catch El up on all the important info she has missed while being taught to use her psionic powers. Featuring Eleven/ Jane, Mike, Will, Lucas, Max, Dustin, and a very sleepy Jonathan (he is absent for the entirety of the story, sorry not sorry).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that took so long! No excuses really. Just got hyper busy with life. I also do this thing where I skip ahead and write things that are several chapters ahead. I will try to post the next one sooner than a month later. The next chapter will be skipping over the summer and go straight to the first day of school (that's the plan anyway). It should go a lot faster. Anyway, enjoy! And thank you for reading!!

Hopper and Jane walked up the steps to the Byers’.

Hopper said, “Joyce is doing us a huge favor by letting you stay over today. So, make sure that she doesn’t come home to a mess, got it?”

Jane nodded.

She hugged him and Hopper kissed Jane’s head. He was beginning to feel like leaving her with Jonathan and Will was a terrible idea. What if someone came for her? What could they possibly do if someone came for her? But then again, their house was still somewhat secluded. The boys already took precautions. They wouldn’t answer the door. Jane could handle herself. This was what their everyday life would be like from now on. 

He warned, “You check in with me on the radio at 10, 12, and 2, okay?”

His cautionary tone did nothing to dampen her spirits. She nodded, excitedly. This was a small taste of freedom and it thrilled her. She would have the day with her friends, the first of many.

He hugged her again. Jane felt a little guilty that he was so concerned. “Dad, I’ll be fine.”

He started at the new name. He was getting used to it. “I know you can take care of yourself, but still. Check in.”

“I will. I promise.”

He nodded seeming somewhat satisfied.

Hopper knocked rhythmically on the door and Will opened up, all smiles. 

“Hey, El- Jane! Hey Hop!”

Hopper smirked, amazed at how much Will looked like his mother. “Hey, kid. I’m heading to work. Are you guys good on food and stuff?”

“Yeah, we’re all set.”

“Okay. I might be stopping by later on, if I get the chance. So, if you guys get hungry let me know.”

“Sure, thanks.”  
“And Will?”

“Yeah?”

“Keep her out of trouble.”

Jane rolled her eyes. Will laughed, “I’ll try.” 

Hopper waved and turned back towards his truck. The door shut and Hopper waited to hear the click of the lock before stepping off the porch.

_________________________________________

Will quickly locked the door before dashing back to the kitchen and hastily took spoonfuls of his cereal while he scoured the cabinets for soda and snacks.

“Did you eat breakfast yet?” He asked Jane.

Jane nodded but she eyed up the snacks. Hopper had given her a full breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast but they had run out of her favorite toaster waffles. Will looked up at her from crouching down in front of the cabinet. He could tell she was peckish. 

He pulled a Frosted Pop-tart from a box. “Do you want to split one with me?”

She wrinkled her nose, uncertain at the new food item, but she nodded anyway. She trusted his judgement. He unwrapped the silver packaging and threw the pastries in the toaster. He grabbed up the remaining snacks from his cabinets and out on the table. He was so thrilled with the idea of having everyone over. It actually felt like summer now. 

Jane wandered over to the coffee table where a bunch of books, notebooks, and folders were spread out. 

She glanced at the book on top. Fahrenheit 451. She held it up, “What’s this?”

“It’s one of the books on the honors list for this year. I asked Jonathan last night what books he read in 9th grade. He asked Nancy when he called her later on and she gave me the honors list too.”

“Honors?”

“It’s what they call the higher level classes. If the school sees what you can do in geography and math, it’s possible that they might try to put you in other higher level classes. They like to keep honors kids together.”

“You’ll be in honors, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What about Mike?”

“Mike and all of us pretty much got into Honors Biology and Honors Algebra. Max is definitely in Honors L.A.” 

Jane looked confused. 

Will explained, “Honors Language Arts, English. It’s the class with mostly reading and writing” He continued, “Lucas has Honors U.S. History. No surprise there. His dad has been taking them to see National monuments and stuff since he was five.”

Will was busying himself around the living room, folding up a blanket that was crumbled on the couch, gathering stray items and rearranging them. 

He continued, “Dustin has also been relentless with asking about the Computer Science program they might be starting this year. And we’re gonna see about getting into the Audio Visual class, but I heard you have to take Theatre Arts for that.” He wrinkled his nose. “....Angela would be excited about that, I guess…” 

He stared intently at the floor, lost in thought. Since the Snow Ball, Will had been dating the girl he had danced with. But more often than not, he seemed awkward about the whole thing. Jane couldn’t figure out why. She’d asked Mike before but he seemed unsure about it too. 

Will shook his head and concluded, “The rest is a toss up. We’ll be getting our schedules some time in July. We can sort out more of the details then.”

The toaster popped. Will and Jane went back to the kitchen. He quickly pulled out the pastries, dropping them on the napkins. He handed it to her. “Give it a minute, it’s hot.”

They took their breakfast to the table and sat, the mountain of snacks between them. 

“When is everyone coming over?”

“I talked to Mike just before you got here. He said he was heading out. If he doesn’t wait for Dustin, he’ll be here within 10 minutes. Dustin should be around shortly after him. And I think Lucas is going over to Max’s to ride with her. He said he’d be here around 10.”

Jane smiled at the thought of seeing Mike so soon. She touched her Pop-Tart. It had cooled off enough. She bit into it and discovered her new favorite breakfast. 

A few minutes after they had demolished the pastries, they heard the door knock. But not the rhythmic way it was supposed to be. They looked at each other, frozen. They hid out of sight of the windows and waited. There was a moment of silence. Then, the rhythm followed. The breathed a sigh of relief and looked through the keyhole. It was Dustin and Mike. 

Will opened the door. “Dude. The knock.”

Dustin threw his hands up. “Listen, I haven’t had my coffee yet. I forgot.”

Mike looked at Dustin. “Since when did you start drinking coffee?”

“Since I started working at a diner that serves the best damn coffee in town,” he replied. “It helps that it’s free.”

Mike rolled his eyes. Will could barely keep the smile from his eyes. He stepped aside to let them in. 

They barely got through the doorway before El ran into Mike’s arms. It had felt like forever since she had held him. It had only been over a week, but it felt like too long. Mike nuzzled into her hair, and wrapped his arms around her. 

Will was looking away, a little embarrassed at the intimacy. Dustin chided, “Get a room, guys.”

Both El and Mike gave him the middle finger. Dustin chuckled and Jane and Mike smirked. 

Dustin opened his backpack and pulled out multiple binders, folders, and notebooks. “So, I pretty much only saved the science stuff from middle school.”

Will said, “That’s fine. You took the best notes.”

Dustin corrected, “You take the best notes when you’re not doodling instead.”

“I can draw and listen,” Will said, defensively.

“It doesn’t matter. You probably wouldn’t have saved all this stuff if you didn’t. That’s all yours isn’t it?” He gestured to the notebooks on the coffee table.

“Mostly. I also asked Jonathan for his old notes too.”

“Where is he, by the way?” Asked Mike.

“Sleeping in his room. He worked late last night,” Will replied.

Mike nodded, grateful for the minimal supervision. He hated how sheltered Will had become. They used to be able to go out on adventures in the woods around his house. Mike understood, rationally. But he still felt bad for Will. They would be in high school now, and Will still had to be chaperoned nearly everywhere he went. 

Mike clapped his hand together, “Okay, let’s sort out what we’re gonna be teaching.”

“You got it, Principal Coleman,” Dustin remarked.

“Shove it, Dustin,” Mike smirked. “We can’t totally overwhelm El-”

“Jane,” Dustin corrected. “You’ve got to start calling her Jane.”

“What’s it matter? It’s a nickname. Nobody will care.”

Will chimed in, “Mike, the story is that she’s moving in over the summer. If we are all immediately friends with her, it will seem weird.”

Dustin agreed, “I don’t think that story’s really gonna work, Will. I mean, she was at the school dance. People may recognize her. We should probably have a better backstory for how we all met.”

Will nodded. “I guess so.”

Mike answered, “We can figure out the backstory later.” He looked over at El. “What do you want to be called?”

She thought for a moment, she wasn’t quite ready to give up her nickname, “Call me El. As long as it’s just the party.” 

Mike smiled. “Okay. That’s settled. We’ll call you Jane at school, then. Anyway, there’s a lot for you to catch up on. We need to know where the gaps are and fill them.”

Will said, “I gave her some tests last night. She is good on math and geography. She can read fine but…”

Jane interrupted, “I need help with History and Language Arts, right?”

Will nodded, “Science, too.”

Jane looked away. She suddenly felt really embarrassed and stupid. Science was what they had won awards for and she didn’t even know the basics. 

Mike touched her shoulder, “Hey, El, it’s okay. We’re gonna catch you up on everything.”

Dustin added, “This is a lot of boring stuff that we had to learn while you were studying how to lift cars.”

Will continued, “And while you were memorizing different languages.”

Dustin and Mike looked at Will, “Wait.” “What?”

“Oh yeah, she just memorized I think 30 different languages. Did you want to show them, Jane?”

She smiled and shook her head, “Maybe later.” Now she was embarrassed for a different reason. 

“So, the itinerary,” Mike refocused, “Who’s teaching what?”

Will responded, “Lucas can take over history. Max can teach her L.A.”

Mike interrupted, “I can teach her that.”

Dustin shook his head. “Don’t even, Mike. She’s been schooling you all year in English.”

Will shrugged, looking at Mike, “She’s read Shakespeare.”

Dustin chimed in, “For FUN!” 

“Whatever,” Mike rolled his eyes.

Will continued, “You’re in charge of writing, Mike.”

“Aren’t they the same thing?” He questioned.

“Kind of, but not really. Max can handle the analytics and reading bits. But you can handle the essay basics, creative writing, and whatnot.” 

Mike nodded, satisfied. “So, who’s teaching her science?”

“I can do that, unless you want to Dustin.” Will offered.

“Well, I could. But there’s a lot that isn’t in the books that she’ll need to know. If someone asks her about soccer and she has no idea what they’re talking about, it’ll be weird.”

“What’s soccer?” Jane asked. 

Dustin said, “See? I’ll handle the pop culture, general knowledge of living in society stuff. You handle science, Will.”

Mike clapped his hands. “Okay. We’re all set.” 

They outlined the basics they would cover for the day. They first needed to go over general themes, like the solar system, the American Revolution, and fiction vs. nonfiction, etc. They were finishing up the schedule when Lucas and Max arrived. 

When they came in the house, Max and Jane made eye contact. Max waved shyly. Jane returned the gesture. She had made up with Max, for the most part. But they hadn’t really had much chance to talk or hang out. 

Mike explained the plan. “I guess we could start out with History. Remember Lucas, just the basics.”

“Yeah, please don’t regale us with battles and specific dates,” Dustin added.

“You have the whole Dungeons and Dragons manual memorized, but you can’t remember the year of Lexington and Concord. That’s not my fault.”

Jane looked between them. “Lexington and what?”

“Don’t worry about that.” Lucas said, “We’ll get to it later. So there are three wars America fought in that are the most important, or rather, the ones everyone remembers: The American Revolution, Civil War, World War II, and the Vietnam War...”

“Was the Vietnam War really that important?” Dustin asked.

Lucas slowly turned and looked at him. “Are you serious? My dad fought in it. It was the turning point of America’s perception on war and the culture of it at home.”

“That sounds like bias to me.” 

“Are you done, yet? Do you want to teach it?”

Dustin put his hands up and let Lucas continue.

Lucas proceeded to give the outlines of the wars and what made each of them important. Jane was having a hard time keeping them straight, so Will drew some pictures and put a few outlined facts around each one. They definitely helped, so as Lucas continued, Will focused on making drawings for the science lesson he’d be teaching her. 

The rest of the party started prepping for their own lessons. Max looked over the books on the table. Which one would be the best to start out with? She knew Shakespeare was out of the question. Jane would pretty much be on the same level as the whole class. No one read or understood Shakespeare, save for her. And maybe the theatre kids. But she needed something to showcase how to analyze a book. She looked over the reading list and the books around the table. 

“The Animal Farm” was short enough. But El would have to understand the context of communism or it would be completely lost on her. “The Old Man and the Sea” was also short. That one might be pretty good to start off on. It was a possibility. She picked up “Fahrenheit 451,” one of her personal favorites. It was good for demonstrating the importance of books. And considering that El had lived in an enclosed dystopia when she lived in that lab, it might be a good one to start. She nodded. This was the one. 

During Max’s lessons, they took turns reading the book out loud. It was the best way for her to ensure that Jane understood everything they read. She did checks for comprehension. Jane could breeze through the chapters fairly quickly but some of the context was lost on her and had to be explained. Max decided that the first part was to understand everything that they were reading. Next time, she would explain how to look for an author’s intent, things like foreshadowing. She reconsidered. That still might be too intense. 

One thing was certain though, she enjoyed reading to El. It felt like they were bonding. And El really seemed to absorb the words and get lost in the story when Max read. She’d only pause her to ask questions and she seemed genuinely interested. Jane was enthralled with the book. 

“Can I take this home to read?”

“It’s not my book, you’d have to ask-”

Will interrupted, “It’s fine by me.”

“Then, yeah.” Max was proud she chose the right book. The important part was to get her interested in reading. The rest of Language Arts would follow.

The rest of the day carried on with lessons broken up by snack breaks and video games and a brief appearance by Jonathan, who was stunned and slightly overwhelmed by the amount of people over at their house. Will seemed more upbeat than usual. Although he was sitting apart from the others on the couch and drawing flashcards for Jane, he seemed to enjoy the excitement. Jonathan was glad to see him laughing and having fun with his friends. He'd needed this. Jonathan waved to everyone and offered to make fish sticks. Everyone politely declined. They were filling up on cheese curls and junk food instead. So Jonathan quietly returned to his room to listen to music and give his brother some space. 

When Will's turn to teach, he went slowly, making sure she could grasp the concepts before moving on. Mike worked patiently with writing, first focusing on the purpose of and how to write an essay. He broke down the formula and then they applied it to an essay that Lucas had written earlier that year on the Revolutionary War. He said they would work on an essay of her own by the end of the week on “Fahrenheit 451.” 

Last came Dustin’s lesson. He focused on the daily schedule of school. He explained how the bells rang to signal when to leave one class and return to another. He outlined what was okay and not okay to say to a teacher. 

“You can ask questions about what the teacher is teaching but don’t question the teacher or their methods.”

She looked confused. 

“An example: Lucas is going to be the teacher. Lucas, tell me about the Civil War.”

Lucas immediately launched into a spiel, “The Civil War was fought over state’s right. Specifically, a state’s right to own and enslave people. The South’s-” 

Dustin raised his hand. 

“Yes, Dustin?” Lucas acted.

“Mr. Sinclair, why did those states want to enslave people?”

“Well-” Lucas was about to continue when Dustin turned to Jane. 

“See that was asking a question. That’s totally fine. The next thing I’m going to show you is questioning a teacher, which you don’t want to do.”

“Please proceed, Lucas.”

Lucas lifted an eyebrow. He felt a little used. “The South relied heavily on slave labor to make maximize the profits from their agricultural products.”

Dustin raised his hand again. “Yes, Dustin?”

“Mr. Sinclair, why do we even need to learn about the Civil War? It happened like a hundred years ago. Seems dumb to learn about it. It isn’t even relevant.”

“Dumb? Not relevant? Are you kidding me? It was how an entire group of people gained the right to be seen as human in the eyes of this country! We are still living with the fallout from that war!”

“Shit, Lucas. I was acting.”

“I was too.”

“Oh. Good. Okay.”

Lucas turned to El, “But seriously, Jane, next week we are going to be digging into that whole war. Because everything from that war matters and effected this country profoundly.”

“But you see,” Dustin continued, “Questioning why a teacher is teaching a particular thing will get them upset.”

Lucas added, “And DEFINITELY never correct a teacher. Even if you know they’re wrong. Some teachers are chill with it and roll. But some will just get angry and defensive.” 

Jane nodded. He continued to explain things about different classes that she would probably take, as well as what to do at lunch, and during gym. He added, “Tomorrow, we can talk about some specific people to avoid. There are a lot.”

By the end of the day, they were all wiped out. It felt like they had just had a whole day of school. Was this really how they were going to spend their summer? The guys agreed that they should do some more fun things with their subjects, like science experiments, and flashcard games. Lucas decided to check out the rental video section of the grocery store movies about the different wars he’d be covering over the summer. Mike planned to bring over the Dungeons and Dragons books for next week’s creative writing assignment. They set their minds to making the study sessions fun and retaining so they could survive the summer. 

Mike lingered after Max, Lucas, and Dustin left. When Jane excused herself to go to the bathroom, Will leaned in. “How did you think today went?” He seemed a little anxious.

“Really well. I think punctuating the lessons with video games was good. We kind of tore through your snack supply though. I can bring some more for tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to…”

“I want to.”

Will shrugged, “Okay. But did you think they had a good time?”

Mike smiled, “Yeah, Will. Why do you care though?”

“I just… we haven’t really had a real summer since before… I just miss what we used to have. The adventures and stupid stuff that made summers awesome. But having everyone over, even for studying, I just wanted to make it fun. It’s not gonna be the same but still fun.”

“Even though it was a lot of work, I had fun. It was nice hanging out and working towards something. And I think it matters a lot to El that we were all here to help her. Our summers have changed a lot but we can still make them memorable.”

Will smiled, nodding. He liked these quiet moments with Mike. He desperately wished there were more of them. They had gotten a lot closer since the Shadow Monster. Mike was still the one he talked to about nightmares or flashbacks. But at the same time, Will’s house was becoming a shared space between him and Jane. Mike came over now carrying the hope that he’d see Eleven. On one hand, it meant more visits from Mike, but it also meant sharing his best friend. It sounded so childish and selfish whenever he thought about it. So he just buried it whenever the thought came up. 

Eleven came out of the bathroom and Will watched Mike’s eyes attach to her like magnets. He knew the real reason Mike had stayed. He said he had to hit the bathroom as well and made himself scarce. 

“How are you feeling, El? I know we threw a lot of stuff at you today.”

“It’s a lot to take in. But it was nice having everyone around.” She smiled to herself, then she looked concerned, “Did I do okay?”

He grinned, “You did great.” He swept a stray piece of hair out from in her face and tucked it behind her ear. 

She stood on her toes and kissed him, she overshot and kissed his nose though. Mike chuckled and kissed her eye. She laughed. She held his face in her hands. She gently kissed his cheek, his forehead, and, finally, his lips. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing deeper into the kiss. They pulled away and Eleven nuzzled into his neck. 

Soon, she’d have him like this every day. Until then, she’d soak up every moment and hold it til the next.


End file.
